Legislative Priorities

20

Aug

Legislative Priorities

The NCTE Action Fund presses Congress to pass legislation to support transgender equality and improve transgender people’s lives. Here are our top priorities for 2019:

Pass the Equality Act.

This landmark bill to secure explicit and consistent non-discrimination protections in employment, housing, public spaces, credit, jury service, and federally funded programs is our top priority.

Status: The Equality Act passed in the House of Representatives on May 17, 2019 with a vote of 236-173 (with 228 Democrats and 8 Republicans voting yes) and is still waiting for a vote in the Senate. Contact your Senators here (LINK).

Protect transgender military service members from President Trump’s ban.

An estimated 14,500 transgender service members have had their service disrupted and their careers threatened by the transgender military ban that is in effect as of April 12, 2019, and with each day comes additional harm to transgender service members. This requires swift action from Congress.

Status: The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act with language to reverse the ban on July 12, 2019. The Senate’s version does not include this language. Negotiations between the House and Senate on a final bill are starting now. Contact members of the Senate Committee on Armed Services and ask them to “Support a final NDAA that reverses the ban on transgender people serving in the military.”

The Trump Administration’s wide-ranging attacks on transgender people in education, employment, health care, housing, prisons, immigration, and other parts of public life call for extensive and forceful oversight to reveal the extent and extreme bias of the Administration’s attacks. Administration officials should be called before committees and questioned about their anti-transgender attacks.

President Trump has repeatedly nominated individuals with records of overt bias demeaning views of transgender people. Members of Congress should consistently and vocally oppose any such nominations to protect their transgender constituents and their families.

Update laws to strengthen civil rights, opportunity, and public safety.